Plants and Art Together

Poised on the top corner of a peaceful Paddington laneway is Saint Cloche – a new gallery and concept space developed by owner and curator Kitty Wong. Brilliantly open and light, the gallery is fronted by elegant glass panels framed in black steel. Inside, a Sensory Coffee Lab station has been installed, tempting roving art enthusiasts to stay a while, sip Sensory Lab’s seamless blend and peruse the gallery.

With plans to host a diverse selection of contemporary work, Saint Cloche’s inaugural exhibition is Art/Vert, a serene merging of art and greenery. Brought together by guest curator Amber Crewswell Bell, the exhibition features work by 10 local artists and makers, including Broadsheet photographer, Luisa Brimble. “Initially I hand-picked a set of artists that I personally really liked – either I had previously bought their work for myself, or had collaborated with them on other projects or written about them,” says Creswell Bell. “In my comings and goings I met a few more that I felt aligned well with the aesthetic of the show and invited them to join because I loved what they were doing.”

And as for the gallery’s name, the idea conjures up a vision of the unveiling of an artistic feast. “A cloche is well recognised in the presentation of a feast. The lid is lifted dramatically to reveal the goods protected beneath,” explains Creswell Bell. “The gallery is a cloche of sorts, encircled by large windows, displaying the visual feast within.”

Art/Vert is showing at Saint Cloche until February 8.

Saint Cloche

37 Macdonald Street, Paddington

Hours

Daily 10am–5pm

saintcloche.com